“Ten years ago the Nisqually quake struck and woke us up to the vulnerability of the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct,” said Chris Gregoire, the governor of the US state. “We committed to replace the viaduct on time and on budget. We are meeting or beating that commitment in project after project and will be demolishing the vulnerable south end six months ahead of schedule. We are making progress and the greatest risk we are facing is delay. Our economy and public safety cannot wait.”
Streamlining the schedule allows crews on the South Holgate Street to South King Street viaduct replacement project to move out of the way of future construction work sooner than planned. This will result in improved construction efficiency, reduced risk and reduced costs, said WSDOT. The original schedule to complete the current stage of the south end project was the end of 2013; it is now estimated to finish by mid-2013.
“Demolishing the viaduct early shows we are committed to finding ways to improve efficiency even after a contract is signed,” said Washington transportation secretary Paula Hammond. “Thanks to our strong partnership with Skanska and the efforts of the more than 150 construction workers, we are reducing risks and delivering ahead of schedule and on budget.”
The direct savings to taxpayers will be US$3.5 million in reduced administration costs, construction costs, and fewer property needs. Skanska will receive US$2.6 million from the state to compensate for additional work to complete the demolition earlier than planned. The original contract value was US$114 million, which was 25% below the engineer’s estimate.
